


Slow Dance

by preludeoflight



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, FE8 Week 2017, M/M, i'll post it to tumblr too, i'm late but do i care? nah, it's a little more gay this time there's a smooch, this was sunday's prompt and i'm posting it monday night rip me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-24
Updated: 2017-10-24
Packaged: 2019-01-22 06:33:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12475568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/preludeoflight/pseuds/preludeoflight
Summary: Newlyweds Joshua and Artur finally find their castle.[For FE8 Week 2017]





	Slow Dance

**Author's Note:**

> wow i totally forgot i planned to do this week.
> 
> The first three days might be a little late until I play catch up, but by Wednesday things should be back on track.  
> This is for the 10/22 Prompt, wherein I chose 'Home'.  
> Also, it gives me the excuse to use 'As The World Falls Down'.

"Ah, we're here!" Artur calls as he reaches the door, his two rolling bags abruptly stopping at his heels. Glancing over his shoulder, he beams at Joshua excitedly and waits for him to catch up. The redhead's no more than three feet behind, a duffel bag slung over each shoulder and he matches Artur's grin.  
"Yeah, we've made it." Joshua nods, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a set of keys with a little red dogtag attached to the ring. "Should I do the honors?" he asks, jingling filling the air. Artur's eyes come to life and he eagerly jumps about, clapping his hands. Moving around the giddy ginger Joshua reaches for the doorknob, setting the key into the lock underneath it and turning it a few times until the click lets the silence fall again.

  
"Go, go! Open it!" Artur excitedly whispers, Joshua stifling some laughter. The door slides inwards silently, only creaking as it gets closer to the wall. The apartment is unfurnished as usual, with white walls and a pale wood floor. The bathroom door is right at the entrance, further down the hallway is a small kitchenette, a bedroom door until the hallway curls to the right which opens into a larger living room. Artur squeaks in joy and rushes in, arms spread wide as he spins about. "It's amazing!"  
Joshua follows quietly after, he sets the keys in his pockets with a quiet sigh. A moment like this almost isn't real, he pinches a bit of skin on his hand to make sure he isn't dreaming. Several months of saving, working double shifts, and sleepless nights. All for a place like this. A place to call home.

  
"Josh, come down here! I found the bedroom!" Artur's voice calls from the hallway, he left his bags at the door and continues his strange spinning dance all the way until he stops against the windows overlooking the street. The night air is warm, Artur throws open a window which billows out his white collar shirt. The apartment, with the half open door, smells of fresh paint and the sweet wind from outside. Joshua hurries to pull the rest of the luggage inside, he makes it about halfway down the hall with arms full until Artur's leaning on his shoulder. "This is perfect. Absolutely perfect."  
Just like that, he drops the bags with an unceremonious clatter. Joshua flushes pink, Artur stifles a giggle as this doesn't always happen. He rolls off of the redhead and tugs on one now free hand, Joshua follows suit. As Artur nearly spins away, Joshua catches his waist and pulls him close, running a hand down the shorter man's face with great tenderness.

  
"I'm so glad you love it. I'm so glad we've made it here."  
"Please, thank yourself. You've been the hard worker, all those double shifts."  
"No, no, not as much as you. Your careful planning and balancing checkbooks, you've kept us afloat."

  
Artur giggles as Joshua starts swaying, taking the momentul from the ginger's former spinning into a slow, soft dance. White socks take steps after black ones, soon the pair find themselves in the empty living room. Cars whoosh by in the night, the light's shimmering in from the crosswalk at the corner. First green, then yellow, then red for a long time. The red light turns soft by the streetlamps below, casting a dusty golden light up into the new apartment. The couple continue their slow waltz, though really it's more of just back and forth swaying in a large circle.

  
Artur's about to say something, but he stops as Joshua begins to hum. It starts off slow, then begins to grow, getting louder with every few steps and half-turn. Artur leans his head on Joshua's chest, a grin from ear to ear. It's a song from one of their first dates, Joshua had tried to convince Artur to watch this silly movie from his childhood called Labyrinth. Something about a strangely dressed Goblin King and a girl trying to save her baby brother, Artur can hardly remember it now. He's too busy feeling his cheeks burn red.  
That night from so long ago, both of them sitting on Joshua's battered leather couch, only an empty popcorn bowl between them. They'd laughed at the cheesiness of the acting and ooh'd at the puppetry and costumes, the mood was warm. As the Goblin King moved through the masquerade in search for the girl, Joshua's hand had reached for his behind the popcorn bowl. The tune, sung by the forever angelic David Bowie, wrapped itself tight around Artur's ears as Joshua's hand squeezed his. That tight squeeze is how Joshua holds his hands now, fingers interlocking fast.  
After a bit more humming, Joshua begins to sing. He's not much of one, never able to hit the high notes, but his lower register is something which sets Artur's heart absolutely fluttering every single time.

  
_"There's such a sad love_  
_Deep in your eyes._  
_A kind of pale jewel_  
_Open and closed_  
_Within your eyes._  
_I'll place the sky_  
_Within your eyes."_

 

A pause for breath, Artur's other hand rests on Joshua's shoulder. He rolls his head to one side in order to watch Joshua as he sings, the soft red-yellow light casting his hair in a heavenly orange tint.

  
_"There's such a fooled heart_  
_Beatin' so fast_  
_In search of new dreams._  
_A love that will last_  
_Within your heart._  
_I'll place the moon_  
_Within your heart."_

 

"Joshua..." A quiet chuckle from Artur, he tries to laugh off how cheesy it is while his eyes sting with tears. A few quick blinks and they run down his cheeks, he keeps smiling. This place is more than perfect, it's magical. Even in this barren state, with clothes and shoes to unpack, appliances to order, pictures to hang and food to cook. All of those future worries melt away as Artur feels this immense weight rise from his shoulders. This is home, their home.

  
_"As the pain sweeps through,_  
_Makes no sense for you._  
_Every thrill is gone._  
_Wasn't too much fun at all,_  
_But I'll be there for you-ou-ou_  
_As the world falls down."_

 

Artur takes this opportunity as there's another break for breath to steal a kiss, though the music stops both of them can hear the synth piano echo in their heads. Joshua returns it in kind, a hand under Artur's chin to hold his lips there for as long as he can. They part only when they feel they need to breathe.  
"You're getting better at that," Joshua snickers with a rogue-ish grin.  
"Not until you get better at singing," Artur replies, laying his head on Joshua's shoulder.  
The pair continue their homecoming dance in relative quiet, save for Joshua's quiet humming echoing past the walls and out to the street.

Both breathe a collective sigh, there'd be no more need for worry and stress. Finally, they were home.


End file.
